INDRAKSI STOTRAM

The Vedic tradition of the divine Mother—the Mother Goddess of the universe lingered on and found expression in the Indraksi Stotram. In his foreword to Indraksi Stotram translated in English by Pandit Janki Nath Kaul Kamal, S. Sankaranarayanan notes; “In the Veda, Indra is the paramount God. He is higher than all the cosmos, Visvasmat Indra uttarah, proclaim the Vedic Rishis. His Shakti, the executive power, his consort Indraksi, is the vision of Indra. Vision extended as in heaven, diviva caksur atatam, says, the Veda. Indra is over –lord of our triple existence. His Force is Indraksi. He wields her as his weapon Vajra. So she is known as Vajra Vairocaniya, the special light born of thunder. She is the thunder destroying all anti-divine forces. She is the hidden radiance in the heart of cloud. Through her, Indra sees everything. Ruling over the Divine Mind, she acts through the human mind, in the sense behind the senses.” The Indraksi Stotram brings to surface the spiritual significance of the Mother Goddess. Janki Nath Kaul’s translation is incisive, revealing, and there can hardly be an abler attempt to provide an exposition of the Stotram. In his introduction he makes an interesting comment, which sheds considerable light on the evolution of Vedic tradition. He writes; “In Tantra and Purana, Indra’s part is taken by Rudra, the powerful, who brooks no obstacles. Indra is also called Marutvan, leader and host of Maruts, the stormy gods or life-powers.” Indra’s spouse, Indrani is the predominating power of Sattva that keeps him within positive limits, in non-normative existence where there is either no ‘good’ and no ‘bad’ or both are present simultaneously with Indrani dividing the fundamental line between them. The greatest of the philosophy which postulates of the Hindu religious culture is that the fundamental line between the good and the evil is drawn the expressions of a higher mental plane like that propounded in Bhagwad Gita. Indra and Indrani represent mind and intellect respectively, for it is the positive reasoning that makes the receding mind change its wrong course and follow what is right and good. Indrakshi is therefore, the harmonizing power of Indra, or the presiding deity of all Gods. The Indraksi Stotram narrates; o being of the Mother Goddess o Her attributes to wield the spiritual powers o The logic of the demarcation of good from the evil. • Mother Goddess is: • Katyani; “The sum-total of the light of all deities.” • Mahadevi; “The self- luminous supreme deity.” • Candaghanta; “the sound of devotion, Sabda Brahma.” • Mahatapa; “The beatitude of penance.” • Gayatri; Mother of Agma and Nigma, “the revealer of ultimate truth to seeker.” • Savitri; “The creative power of giving birth to the universe.” • Brahmani; “Spouse of Brahma, the God of creation.” • Brahmavadini; “The propounder of knowledge of Brahman, the supreme self of all.” • Narayani; “The immeasurable power of Narayan.” • Bhadrakali; “The testimony of dissolution in contrast to the creative power in nature.” • Rudrani; “spouse of Rudra.” • Krsnapingala;“The sychronisation of the power of white and black.” • Agnijvala;“The flame of knowledge.” • Raudramukhi; “face of Rudra, the God of dissolution.” • Kalaratri; “dissolution of duality in darkness.” • Tapasvini; “The devotee’s effort for self-realisation, the Tapa.” • Meghasyima; “Depth of the darkest cloud.” • Sahasraksi;“The beholder of the universe with her thousand eyes—the divine sight.” • Visnumaya; “The insurmountable Divinity.” • Jalodari; “primal cause of matter with water content.” • Mahodari; “The deity with belly to absorb all kinds of manifestation, physical, mental and causal into Her own self.” • Muktakesi; “The remover of gross, subtle bondage of the sense of duality in Jiva-Consciousness.” • Ghorarupa; the face of the Goddess adopted to destroy evil spirits and “Maintaining harmony of the laws of nature.” • Mahabala; “All powerful –omnipotent.” • Ananda; “The divine bliss.” • Bhadrajananda; “Mother of the infinite peace and grace.” • Rogahartri; “healer of all diseases.” • Sivapriya; “The loved deity of Shiva.” • Sivaduti; “She who commissioned Shiva as Her messenger.” • Karali; “annihilator of ego.” • Pratyaksa; “The power of Yoga.” • Paramesvari; “Supreme self of peace and bliss.” • Indrani; “The primeval energy who guides Indra.” • Candrarupa; “goodness—ecstasy.” • Indrasaktiparayana; “power of Indra to destroy evil.’ • Mahisasurasamhartri; “Destroyer of the demon Mahisasura.” • Camunda; “The terrific form of Durga.” • Garbhadevata; “The self-luminous power of actuating manifestation.” • Varahi; “The spouse of the third incarnation of Vishnu Avatar Varha.” • Narasimhi; “The expression of compassion of the Divine Mother through the assumed form of Narasimha, to save the devotee Prahlada.” • Bhima; “Form of Durga in which she destroys evil.” • Bhairavanadini; “guide of the path of spirituality.” • Srutih;“revelation in the Vedas as the knowledge of Brahman.” • Smrtih; “The memory for the dispersion of spiritual knowledge.” • Dhrith; “The divine power of concentration on the comprehension of the infinite Brahman.” • Medha; “power to comprehend the supreme consciousness.” • Vidya; “The knowledge of supreme self.” • Laksmi; “Deity of fortune and fairness.” • Sarasvati; “The goddess of supreme knowledge and divine light.” • Ananta; “The infinite power of consciousness.” • Vijaya; “victory over evil.” • Purna; “The power of accomplishment.” • Manastosa; “Goddess who bestows the power of harmony to the mind.” • Aparajita; “The unconquerable deity.” • Bhavani; “bestower of the power of being; the creator.” • Parvati; “spouse of Shiva.” • Durga; “Goddess who grants Moksha---‘freedom from transmigration.” • Haimavati; “witness of all creation.” • Ambika; “power of austerity and affection.” • Asiva ; “who hides the truth from the Asuras.” • Siva;” The embodiment of bliss, ever new and absolute. She is the transparent medium of divine activity.” • Bhavani; “The bestower of life to Bhava or existence, desire and dread.” • Rudrani;“who has the power of dissolution.” • Sankarardhasaririni; “The consort of Sankara.” (Excerpt from the book: Kashmir-Hindu Religious Culture by C. L. Gadoo)